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How easy is it for foreign workers to settle in Germany? Three examples from Adlershof

Without their employees from all over the world, the institutes and companies on the campus would not be where they are now. They are part of their success. What’s it like to settle down in a strange country? Are there lurking obstacles? When does it all get a bit too typically German? We asked around.

For Nikolaj Koltsov, it was war that drove him out of his home country. His wife and he fled Ukraine to Slovakia because their son was there and had been living there for a few years. “Unfortunately, I had virtually no chance of finding a job in my field of expertise,” says the chemist, who specialises in organic synthesis. So, he started looking within a wider radius. “Fortunately, the company ASCA GmbH – Angewandte Synthesechemie Adlershof responded to my unsolicited application,” says Koltsov, gladly, “and so I ended up in Adlershof and took up my first job abroad at the age of 61.”

Koltsov experienced real-life welcoming culture from day one. Christine Wedler, manager of ASCA, took care of him, picked her new employee up from Berlin’s central bus station, and helped with finding and registering a flat for him. “I am very grateful for that.” The chemist also emphasises the dedication of Alexander Ney, who manages the IGAFA guest houses, where he currently lives. “He does a lot, making sure his foreign guests are not lonely and can quickly settle into German society,” says Koltsov.

Koltsov appreciates that Berlin is so multinational, something he feels every day. “In general, there is a tolerant and friendly attitude towards foreigners.” Fortunately, he says, he learned German already years ago. “Of course, this skill helps me here. And I have the opportunity to improve my language skills every day.”

To be sure, Koltsov concedes, not everything runs as smoothly as you’d think. He has been looking for a GP, for example, for quite some time now: “I have problems because of that, I need certain drugs that I can’t get. It also takes a while to get an appointment.” This is a problem that he is not alone with. What does he miss the most? “My family still lives in Slovakia.”
 

It’s the same for Maria Fernanda Rodriguez Salazar, except that her family lives in Venezuela. The young woman has been working as a sales manager at LLA Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, a provider of sensor systems for identifying recyclable materials and food, since December 2022. After a degree in international trade, Rodriguez Salazar moved abroad 13 years ago, worked in Poland for a while, and then came to Adlershof. Being a non-EU citizen, it wasn’t always easy. It took half a year until all her documents were approved.

“Nice” and “well-organised” are words that come to mind when Rodriguez Salazar describes her new environment. Nevertheless, she occasionally misses the South American sun, the crystal-clear water, and the white sandy beaches. More than anything, however, she misses “the simplicity and love” of her family. “They all struggle to make ends meet. But still, they are prepared to give me what little they have.”

Due to the unstable conditions in Venezuela, there is no way back for her. For that, she gets to enjoy Berlin’s cultural life: “It has all the things I love: art, philosophy, science.” Anything that surprised her? “Unlike Paris, the city is not so overcrowded,” she says. “That’s something I like about Berlin. I can have the vibrant bustle of a big city, but also peace and quiet whenever I want it.” The sales manager can enjoy much of the latter in Friedrichshagen, where she lives. “A lovely area. The people here are polite, they greet you, and smile,” she says. A good match for Salazar, who describes herself as “very talkative”.

However, she admits, she must learn better German. “I think that, in order to feel at home, I must speak the language.” Even if it’s just, as she says, to crack a few jokes in the language of the locals. She is now optimistic about her prospects. “The German language has plenty of vowels and short words that I can memorise easily.” For the transition phase, it helps that you can get quite far with English and Berlin is a very open-minded and tolerant city. This is also something she notices about her colleagues, who all make an effort to help her integrate, invite her over in the evenings, and are generally very nice. As a result, arriving at her job was frictionless.
 

This was an experience that Anna Dörnfelder, development engineer at LTB Lasertechnik Berlin GmbH, also made. “Thanks to sympathetic colleagues, I immediately felt well-integrated and seen,” she says. Dörnfelder came to Germany from Ukraine ten years ago, studied electrical engineering and information technology in Magdeburg, and began her working life at LTB in 2016.

Besides the obstacles created by government authorities that sadly are a typical feature of her everyday life and the occasional language barrier, the Ukrainian felt well-received. “I felt welcome in Germany even when I was still at university,” she says. Her uni offered intercultural meetups, support for writing job applications, free-of-charge German language courses, and “really supportive teaching staff”, says Dörnfelder with praise. This lucky streak continued in Adlershof: “When war broke out in my home country, I felt another wave of helpfulness and sympathy towards my compatriots. This helped me process the shock.”

Her family, which she misses dearly, lives close to Charkiw. “My parent’s house was destroyed by Russian bombs.” Although Dörnfelder has been living in Germany long and has put down roots here, she is suffering incredibly under the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. At least she can support her loved ones as much as possible. “It is indeed a privilege that I can help my family from here.”
 

Chris Löwer for Adlershof Journal

• ASCA GmbH Angewandte Synthesechemie Adlershof
• LLA Instruments GmbH & Co KG
• LTB Lasertechnik Berlin